Market Update: Industrial output growth slows to five-year low in 2025 – Full Analysis

Market Update: We break down the business implications, market impact, and expert insights related to Market Update: Industrial output growth slows to five-year low in 2025 – Full Analysis.


Published: 30 Jan. 2026, 09:51

A view shows Samsung Electronics’ chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on Sept. 7, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
Korea’s industrial output grew at the slowest pace in five years in 2025, while retail sales and facility investment also grew at a moderate pace, government data showed Friday.
 
Industrial output gained 0.5 percent from a year earlier in 2025, driven mainly by strong demand for semiconductors, according to the data from the Ministry of Statistics and Data.
 
 
Retail sales, a key indicator of private spending, also rose 0.5 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a decline the previous year. The increase was driven by higher sales of durable goods, including vehicles.
 
Facility investment advanced 1.7 percent on-year in 2025, extending gains for a second straight year, supported by strong demand for transportation equipment and chip-related machinery, the data showed.

Yonhap